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English
Nanosciences and nanotechnologies are highly promising areas for research and industrial innovation. By the principle of precautiousness in front of this technological jump, the risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials has become the focus of increasing attention.
Within this context, the Directorate General for Technology, Research and Energy of the Walloon Region trusted the University of Namur to develop in vitro tests for nanoparticle toxicity assessment.
Video presenting the project (scientific version)
(pdf)Are nanotechnology products
potentially unsafe ?
Nanosciences and nanotechnologies are highly promising areas for
research and industrial innovation. Due to their remarkable properties,
nanomaterials (at least one dimension <100nm) are bearing many
hopes, notably in materials engineering, in environmental sector and in
medecine. The risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials has become
the focus of increasing attention. To develop safe and sustainable
nanotechnologies in Belgium, the Directorate General for Technology,
Research and Energy of the Walloon Region trusted The University of
Namur to develop in vitro tests for nanoparticle toxicity
assessment.
The project
The goal of the Nanotoxico project is to develop in vitro tests for
nanoparticles toxicity assement. This project involves several
discipines including
physics,
chemistry, biology,
pharmacy and communication science. Each team will
fulfil a specific mission in order to obtain an integrated view of
nanomaterials physico-chemical properties and interaction with
biological systems. Particularly, the biologists
develop new in vitro engineered human tissues, while the
pharmacists perform in vivo studies to confirm the
results obtained from these in vitro models and therefore assess their
scientific relevance. The chemists and
physicists contribute to the characterization of each
type of nanoparticles. The physical and chemical properties of
nanomaterials depend on their size, shape, surface properties,
structure and chemical composition. New relevant tissue models of
reconstituted skin, respiratory epithelium and intestinal epithelium
will be developed and validated to assess the toxicity related to
nanoparticles using histology, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity tests.
Acute and subchronic toxicity studies will be investigated on animal
models using different exposure pathways such as the skin, the
respiratory and the intestinal tracts. Histopathological examinations
of several target organs and serum biochemical parameters will be
performed to define potential hazard related to nanoparticles.
The project depends on cooperation and dialogue, not only across
disciplines but also between the scientific community and the public it
serves. That is exactly the scope of “Atout Sciences”, the science communication unit
of the University of Namur.
Conclusion
This project will identify potential implications of manufactured
nanomaterials on human health and will develop in vitro technologies
for nanotoxicity evaluation. It will also help regulatory authorities
to dress a risk assessment methodology applicable to engineered
nanomaterials for their safe production and applications.
Hardware
The Cell
Biology Research Unit (URBC) has the facilities for most
of the methods related to cell biology, biochemistry and molecular
biology. The equipment devoted to cell biology and biochemistry
includes cell culture facilities, a confocal microscope, 1D-gel and
2D-gel platforms, two mass spectrometers, a radioactivity laboratory
and several types of spectrophotometers, spectrofluorimeters and
luminometers. Molecular biology methods available in the laboratory
include PCR, real time PCR, gene transfection, plasmid amplification,
and gene expression analysis by DNA microarrays.
In the field of
medicinal chemistry and pharmacology the following
equipment and facilities are available at the Drug Design and Discovery
Center : Classical and parallel organic, synthesis equipment,
Preparative LC/MS equipment, LC/MS, LC/UV analyzer, GC/FID analyzer,
1HNMR (400 MHz), 13C-NMR (400 MHz), Elemental analyzer (C, H, N, S),
UV-spectrophotometer, IR-spectrophotometer, X-ray diffractometer
(powder + monocrystals),
FPLC, Differencial calorimtry analysis, X-ray diffractometer, Full
automated titrator, Melting point apparatus, Animal housing, Organ bath
for contractions measurement, Cages equipped with particle suspension
generator.
Characterisation pole has several equipments for spectroscopic analysis and nanomaterial synthesis. One can cite a linear accelerator for nuclear reactions based spectroscopy (measure of nanomaterial traces in organs, pellets, …), an ion implanter and several PVD machines for the synthesis of nanomaterials by vacuum based techniques, surface profilometry, FEG-SEM with EDX equipped with nanoparticles detection and analysis software (1 nm resolution) , SolidWorks mechanical design solutions (2D, 3D) to design animals related hardware, computational fluid dynamics programs to design suspension of nanoparticles in closed systems, …
CES main equipments : 5 potentiostats for analysis, modifications and electrochemical depositions, 1 electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), 1 scanning vibrating electrode/scanning. Kelvin probe (SKP & SVET), 1 scanning electrochemical miscroscope (SECM), 1 FT-IRRAS with modulation of polarization coupled to an IR microscope, 1 contact angle measurement, 1 ball-mill and CNTs functionalisation, 1 oven for synthesis et modification of CNTs, 1 lyophilisation instrument.
AcknowledgmentNanotoxico (convention RW/FUNDP n° 516252) is supported by the Walloon Region of Belgium and the University of Namur. The project has started on January, 1st 2006 and will last five years.
Laboratory implicated :
- The Cell Biology Research Unit - URBC
- LARN Laboratory Department of Physics
- Unit of surface and analytical chemistry and electrochemistry
-
Drug Design & Discovery Center - Department of Pharmacy
- Science communication unit - Atout sciences
